


The Fifth Expression

by volleydorks



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, I wrote this since you can never have too much Oikage, Iwaizumi is mentioned - Freeform, Kitagawa Daiichi, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 17:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13529295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volleydorks/pseuds/volleydorks
Summary: Oikawa's been studying his kouhai's face for a while.His name's Kageyama Tobio, and he's the most irritating little brat ever.He's always got that stupid innocent look on his face.That's practically the ONLY look he has on his face.Despite that, Oikawa can't help himself from studying Kageyama's face.When he's on the court,when he's breathing hard after practice,or when he's standing right in front of him.His kouhai doesn't express many emotions.Despite that simple fact, Oikawa's managed to discover four.So... what's the fifth?





	The Fifth Expression

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so the quote that I chose to start this fic with was my prompt. It's modelled after the beginning of an oikage doujin I read named 'Chameleon'. (I didn't copy the quote directly, but it's heavily inspired by it.) Anyway, enjoy ^_^
> 
> [There's also some cursing in this fic. Not Kageyama though, he's a little buttercup. Buttercups don't curse.]

The Fifth Expression

My kouhai who's two years younger than me often changes colour.

He’s slightly tanned during the summer,

                           slightly red during practice,

                                             really pale during the season when the sun sets...

I wonder if having skin that often changes colour is meant to compensate for his lack of expressions.

 

 

      “Oikawa-san? That’s the back of my book you’re writing on…”

      “It’s my book now, Tobio-chan! Ha.” After shoving the book inside of his backpack, he turned and stuck his tongue out at said Tobio-chan, who was wearing that same blank stare on his face. It was his default expression. **The First Expression** , Oikawa had dubbed it.

      _Of course. His face never changes_.

      There was a brief flickering in the younger boy’s eyes, but his disinterest in Oikawa’s childishness was otherwise made clear. Then again, it made sense. Ever since Kageyama’s welcoming into the volleyball team, Oikawa had been consistently taking the piss out of him. Even after all these months, Kageyama _still_ couldn’t tell when Oikawa was taking the piss out of him. Either he was stupid enough not to realise, or smart enough not to rise to Oikawa’s taunts. Judging by Kageyama’s grades, it was most likely the former option.

      Thirty seconds later, Oikawa was _still_ pulling on his own eyelids and making stupid faces. Watching how the two interacted with one another, it would’ve been hard to believe that it was _Oikawa_ who was the third-year student. The only indicator which might’ve informed onlookers that Oikawa was the senpai was the fact that he was taller than Kageyama, even if the height difference was only marginal. And even then, there were some pretty short senpais out there, people such as Yaku Morisuke.

      “If you want to borrow it, that’s okay,” the younger boy said, the politeness radiating from his tone in every way possible. It only pissed Oikawa off even more. _Come on, damnit. Give me a reason to hate you, asshole. Call me a prick. Oh, wait, no. Take my spot on the court again. Wait, no. Why am I jinxing myself?_

      Oikawa shook his head, dragging himself back to the present. _Right now, it’s eight twenty-seven in the morning. It’s just him and Tobio in the changing room. Him and oh-so-innocent Tobio-chan_.

      “But I need to return it to the library soon…”

      _Oh. He’s still speaking?_

      “…and, well, it’s about a boy who discovers volleyball and falls in love with it,” Kageyama said, his tone becoming almost dreamy as he began to weave an intricate explanation of the plot (although, Kageyama’s idea of _intricate_ would contradict Oikawa’s. After all, Kageyama Tobio was the same boy who couldn’t even score double digits on his Language and Literature tests, let alone tell a story). “He finds a new world, a new path, through one ball. One sphere. One destiny.”

      _Has he ever heard Kageyama speak for so long?_

      _He doesn’t know._

      _But, he doesn’t want him to stop_.

      “You suck at being deep, Tobio-chan.” He still hadn’t flicked the book over. He didn’t really want to. Didn’t really intend to. He was just staring at the back of the cover, where his own words remained, written in his careful script.

      _Lack of expressions_.

      He glanced up at Kageyama once again, searching for any change in that expression of his. It was impossible _not_ to focus on Kageyama’s eyes, really. His hair practically screamed “Focus on my eyes!” while his eyebrows had a natural, elegant curve to them as if they were saying, _down here, bitch_. But in a cute chibi voice, not a really aggressive Iwa-chan kind of voice. Oikawa wasn’t really sure how to describe it. Like Kageyama, words weren’t his strongest forte. (He’s not as stupid as Tobio-chan though. _No way_.) But the way his dark hair crept onto his forehead, only to retreat whenever it neared his eyes… it was as if his hair was saying, _look here_. And of course, Oikawa did. He was always looking. Maybe he’d been looking for a bit too long, since Kageyama’s eyes had begun to flicker slightly. That depthless blue… Oikawa couldn’t help but wonder how it would look if Kageyama were to step out of the shade and into the light.

      What if Kageyama were to step into his arms?

      Well, to be honest, Oikawa would probably throw him off and say _you’re getting a bit clingy, Tobio-chan_ , but on the inside, he’d be quite chuffed about it. Maybe, just maybe, Oikawa would even get to see a new reaction. _I wonder what Kageyama looks like when he’s in love. Would his eyes shine with new life, new radiance? Would his heart beat faster, so fast that it would infect Kageyama’s cheeks with a permanent flush of joy? Would a smile lace his lips a little bit more often?_

      Oikawa let out a snort at his own thoughts. _You’re overthinking things, Tooru. It’s just stupid Tobio-chan. I doubt he’s even capable of love_. But even as he thought it, he knew that it wasn’t true. Even despite the emotionless mask that Kageyama wore, there were a lot of emotions which lay dormant. Oikawa knew, because he’d been the one to discover the first four.

      “There’s not—not much to be deep about,” Kageyama mumbled, almost tripping over his words. He didn’t even seem to _notice_ the internal battle that was going on within Oikawa’s head. Good for Oikawa, not-so-good for his heart. “It’s a friendship story. Guy discovers volleyball. Volleyball leads to friendship. Friendship leads to happiness. Things… things like that, anyway.”

      “You need to work on your story-telling skills, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa scoffed, although his eyes still remained on Kageyama’s. His skin was still pale, unblemished, yet Oikawa noticed the clenching of cheekbones underneath, the slight shift of facial muscles as Kageyama’s lips twitched into what appeared to be the beginnings of a smile. It was gone before Oikawa could _really_ have a chance to decipher it, but that didn’t change the fact that it had been there. “Say, why don’t you let _me_ tell you a good story?”

      Kageyama hesitated for a moment, _really_ staring Oikawa down to the point that the brunette was beginning to feel a little bit creeped out. Those blue eyes were probing his own, almost as if those nimble, smooth hands of Kageyama’s were reaching out through those eyes and grabbing him and taking his eyeballs the same way aliens abduct humans in their UFOs at night—

_Wait. What is he even thinking about anymore?_

_Eye hands?_

_Tobio-chan juggling with his eyeballs?_

_Jesus Christ, Tooru. You’re tired, aren’t you?_

      “Sure.” And Kageyama leaned back against the wall, arms laid flat against his sides as he stared up at his senpai. The light was coming in through the windows now, casting a faint glow of sunlight across his face and making it look as if his sun was glowing in the sun. Oikawa, he was the type to _thrive_ in hot weather. His social media practically yelled the fact. There was post after post, ranging from artistic pictures of the beach and shirtless pictures in the sun to cheeky glasses of piña coladas atop wooden tables and of course, _beach volleyball_. He breathed summer, _was_ summer, had a smile just as bright as the sun…

      …but, he also had his low moments. The sun had to melt into darkness at some point during the strain of remaining bright, remaining as a support for farmers, pilots and sea navigators, remaining as a support for his team. _It’s hard to imagine someone having more energy than Oikawa. So cheerful, so flamboyant, but serious when it comes to the court_.

      “Once upon a time, there was a little idiot called Tobio-chan. He came to this school when he could’ve _easily_ gone to a school closer to him like Nagamushi, but probably just wanted to do it to irritate me! Well, not _me_ , but the protagonist of this little tale, Oikawa Tooru.” Kageyama’s lips twitched, probably considering opening to inform Oikawa that he chose Kitagawa Daiichi for its powerhouse volleyball team, _not_ for the attractive six-foot-something setter that was the captain of them all. Of _course_. He wouldn’t be lying if he said that. But he wouldn’t be telling the whole truth if he did either.

      “And then, this little Tobio-chan decides to ask me — no, _Oikawa_ — how to do a jump-serve on a daily basis. You know, it started getting irritating. Tobio-chan, already so talented and stupid, yet he _still_ wanted to leech off even more of Oikawa’s talents.” Oikawa took a step forwards, stepping out of the light. His face was obscured by shade now, but there was still a dusting of light in his hair, a glow of fading light behind him as he raised an eyebrow at the ever-impassive Kageyama, whose eyes narrowed slightly at the action, but remained otherwise still. “But, then, one day, Oikawa can’t handle the stress anymore. He lashes out. It’s stupid, and it’s mean. But he lashes out. Tries to hurt this cute little idiot, Tobio-chan. His best friend was there to stop Oikawa from actually doing anything. He told Tobio-chan to go home, and scolded Oikawa for what he’d done. To this day, Oikawa doesn’t regret it. But, deep down, he knows that there was more than one reason for what he did.”

      Oikawa looked to see if Kageyama had bothered to react yet.

      _Nope. No reaction_.

      So, he went in for the kill.

      “Oikawa was jealous. Not only of the fact that this Tobio-chan was more talented than him, but because everyone was watching him. And Tobio-chan was watching all of these people too, all these high school aces, but he’d stopped watching Oikawa. Stopped keeping his eyes on him.” Oikawa had a pensive expression on his face — not sad, but not exactly glowing either. It made sense that he’d stepped into the shade. “And, Oikawa began to miss the moments where Tobio-chan would ask him to teach him jump serves. Oikawa’s bestie, Iwa-chan, had decided to step up to the task. And Tobio-chan became fond of Iwa-chan. Even fell in love with him at some point. And Iwa-chan returned those feelings. Oikawa began to wish that he could be in Iwa-chan’s shoes, although he’d never admit it.”

      “That’s weird,” Kageyama said, thinking back to the time when he’d first realised that Iwaizumi loved him back. It was in autumn, the season when the nights got longer and the days got shorter. The only thing which had remained constant was the pattering of feet against a freshly polished court, the squeaking and panting as players darted from side to side, an orchestra slaving towards that one single ball, reaching and connecting and _feeling_. Oh, and they’d felt it in their legs.

      Felt it in their spirits.

      And, Kageyama had felt something special every time he got to set the ball that would allow Iwaizumi to spike in the opposition’s realm. To snatch a point from their hands, tear it out as if it had never been there in the first place.

      It had felt even more special when Iwaizumi smiled at him.

      Of course, Oikawa would flounce onto the court moments later after they’d struck the decisive blow together, girly cheers of “Oikawa-san!” marking his presence as he smiled and waved. Then, he’d walk over to the duo, his gait slightly awkward due to the new brace on his knee, and ask Kageyama these questions he could never really understand. The brunette would succeed in breaking the moments between Iwaizumi and Kageyama quite often, but it wouldn’t change the sanctity of the moments they’d shared prior to Oikawa’s arrival. It wouldn’t change the connection between their gazes.

      Of course, it hadn’t lasted too long. Within two months, Iwaizumi and Kageyama had parted ways, realising that they were better off as friends, as teammates. Kageyama was too invested in his volleyball, so invested that he’d often forget to do things with Iwaizumi outside of volleyball. In other words, Kageyama loved volleyball more than he loved Iwaizumi. He was invested in catching up to Oikawa, invested in becoming the best setter in the prefecture. Their love gradually dissolved to a platonic love, rather than a romantic love. There were no tears when they brought an end to their relationship, no regrets. It had been good. But, they both knew that it wasn’t quite right. Not to mention, Oikawa had been whining about it ever since the news hit the team. At first, Iwaizumi hadn’t quite understood why Oikawa had hated their relationship so much — well, at least until he stumbled across something Oikawa had written.

**Maybe things would be different if I’d said yes to Tobio-chan**

It had been at Oikawa’s house. They’d been sitting in his room. Oikawa had left to go to the toilet, Iwaizumi had flopped his head down on Oikawa’s pillow and spotted a crumpled piece of paper on the floor. Out of interest, Iwaizumi had picked it up, straightened the edges out and read his way through the single sentence. It wasn’t in Oikawa’s usual neat script, but it was undeniably _Oikawa_. There was only one person Iwaizumi knew who would write his characters in such a cursive manner. Everyone else usually just scrawled them down, but Oikawa had always been one to take time with his words. Either way, once Iwaizumi had realised just what the paper had been implying, he’d crumpled it back up and placed it on the floor, mere seconds before Oikawa entered the room once again. Iwaizumi had never mentioned it to Oikawa of course, but it had remained in the back of his mind. And watching how hard Kageyama was working to catch up to Oikawa… there was only one logical conclusion in Iwaizumi’s mind.

      They’ll eventually fall in love with each other.

      With that, Iwaizumi let go and began to drop hints to Oikawa that he should start being nicer to Tobio. Of course, Oikawa didn’t know the first thing about being _nice_ , especially to an idiot like Tobio-chan, but he _did_ try. He even let Kageyama try his milk bread once. Granted, Oikawa had licked it prior to giving it to Kageyama, but Kageyama had still thanked him earnestly and even _shook his hand_. (Jesus, how awkward is he?) Now that Oikawa thought of it, that was the first time he’d seen Kageyama with that look on his face. That peaceful look. Kageyama had that expression on his face right now, actually. The younger boy’s lips were finally parting to say something. He had that earnest expression on his face, the expression which Oikawa had dubbed **The Second Expression**.

      “I was in love with Iwaizumi-san too. Tobio-chan sounds a lot like me.”

      _He seriously hasn’t figured it out?_ Oikawa wanted nothing more than to slap some sense into Kageyama and scream _I’m talking about us in third person, baka_ , but he didn’t. Instead, he continued.

      “At last, Oikawa, overcome with frustration, decided to ask Tobio-chan if he wanted to practice his serving. Imagine his surprise when this same Tobio-chan told him, _okay_. After weeks of being ignored, this same Tobio-chan was looking up at him with the most eager expression ever as he lifted a volleyball and dashed towards the court.” Oikawa could feel his heart beginning to beat just a little quicker. _Tobio-chan, his eyes had done something. Oikawa didn’t know what, but those blue eyes had acknowledged him, they’d brimmed with the purest form of joy and happiness that Oikawa had ever seen in his life_. And, for some reason, Oikawa’s heart had ended up skipping yet another beat.

      Maybe he was just attracted to the volleyball in Kageyama’s hand.

      Kageyama’s warm, large hand, large for a first-year anyway, with well-groomed nails. Smooth, pale and not a cuticle out of place. Those beautiful hands, practically crafted for setting. Fragile-looking, like porcelain, but so much _force_ within them. The way the skin beneath his hands smoothens out when his knuckles shift slightly, moving as those ankles carry Kageyama up into the air, the momentum of his jump spurring him forwards as one hand slices through the air, gently tapping the ball before it topples right over the net and bounces to the ground. In that moment, Kageyama’s already returned to the ground, eyes just as innocent as usual. But his skin’s gone slightly red with the exertion of jumping, the exertion of running. There’s a slight bead of sweat beginning to form on the side of his face. His chest is heaving, but his eyes are now glowing with a sense of admiration as he turns to face Oikawa, whose eyes were transfixed on Kageyama’s form. Sure, the first-year was _nowhere_ near being like him. But that didn’t make him any less mesmerising.

      _“Did I do good, Oikawa-san?”_

_“Pwa-ha-ha, of course not! You’ve still got a lot to learn, baka.”_

      Oikawa had been hoping that the boy’s facial expression would change. He hadn’t frowned, hadn’t smiled — hell, his lips had barely twitched at Oikawa’s words. But, the admiration had begun to fade from his eyes. That moment had told Oikawa all he needed to know. _He might not show his emotions that easily, but he still has them. But, if he has them, why does he go to such lengths to hide them behind that expressionless face of his? His skin expresses more than his emotions. The way his muscles move, the way it changes colour depending on the seasons and his mood. If only he could transfer that quality from his skin to his face…_

      “Oikawa-san? Your hand’s trembling.” Present-day Kageyama reached out, grabbed Oikawa’s hand almost as if by habit. The sudden touch shocked Oikawa, who had been too transfixed on Kageyama’s face to notice what the rest of his body was doing. Those _hands_ were touching his, and _God_ were they soft, so warm against his hand. And Oikawa being the pervert he was, couldn’t stop himself from wondering how those hands would feel in other places. _Oh God—_

      “Are you trying to give me cooties, Tobio-chan?” Oikawa stuck his tongue out and wrinkled his nose at Kageyama, prompting the younger boy to instantly withdraw his hands from Oikawa’s. There was a hurt expression on Kageyama’s face, just a slight bit more obvious than usual. Again, that disappeared after a few seconds, but it had still been there. Oikawa’s eagle eyes hadn’t missed a thing. _Well, they clearly managed to miss the fact that Kageyama was reaching for his fucking hand. His hand! It still feels warm, too. God, those hands…_

      “No, I just thought you were cold.” _Ugh, great. Tobio-chan’s gone back to that blank stare of his_ , Oikawa thought to himself. _Good job, Oikawa. Fucking fantastic. You’re all the way back at square one_. Honestly, Oikawa couldn’t _help_ himself from interacting with Kageyama the same way he did. It was just a reflex at this point to insult him in some sort of way or form. It didn’t stop the disappointment he felt from realising that he’d just managed to push the younger boy away from him once again. Kageyama was always trying to catch up to him, always trying to get closer, but he always remained out of reach. It wasn’t Kageyama’s fault.

      It was Oikawa’s.

      A long silence passed between the two of them. Kageyama, unsure of how he should interact with Oikawa. Oikawa, annoyed at himself for pushing their relationship back once again. But, when Oikawa noticed that Kageyama’s gaze was beginning to wander over to the nearby clock, he realised that he still had a story to finish telling.

      “One day, Tobio-chan stopped being a regular. Oikawa got better, and he managed to take his number one spot back. You know, just as fate intended.” Kageyama didn’t miss the smugness in his tone. _Why’s he so smug about a fictional character?_ “That day, Tobio-chan congratulated Oikawa, but told him that he still intended to become the best. You wanna guess how Oikawa responded?”

      “Um… _Good luck with that, Tobio-chan_?”

      Again, Oikawa had to resist the urge to face-palm. _We had that conversation like three weeks ago, Tobio-chan. Do you not realise I’m talking about us?_

      “A little meaner, Tobio-chan.”

      “ _Good luck with that, Tobio-chan_ ,” Kageyama said, making his voice gruffer. Oikawa let out a snort of laughter. He’d grown used to hearing Kageyama with that sweet little innocent voice of his, one untouched by the effects of puberty, constant sleep deprivation and high school. One enriched by volleyball, years and years of volleyball. But now, Kageyama was speaking as if he were some forty-year-old smoker.

      “First of all, Oikawa does _not_ sound like that!” Oikawa had put a hand to his chest in indignation. He knew his kouhai had his moments of stupidity, but _this is ridiculous_. He was amazing when it came to volleyball and game sense, but outside of volleyball, he was a complete idiot.

      “Oh,” Kageyama said. “Wait, do you know that Oikawa guy? Or is there a movie?”

      “No, Tobio-chan. There’s no movie. It’s just common sense. The _best setter in the prefecture_ isn’t going to sound like the _biggest crackhead in the world_ ,” Oikawa scolded. “Try again.”

      “But you said to be _a little meaner_ ,” Kageyama said. His facial expression still remained quite earnest, but there still weren’t many noticeable changes with his expression. Oikawa noticed them all though, noticed every single one. He noticed how Kageyama’s tongue was peeking out slightly, how his eyebrows were just slightly pinched together. He seemed to be becoming frustrated at his inability to work out what Oikawa was trying to do. This was what Oikawa had dubbed **The Third Expression**. Confusion.

      “No. Your words, Tobio-chan.”

      “Oh,” Kageyama said, understanding at last. “Um… _You’re going to be the worst_.”

      Once again, Oikawa let out a snort of laughter. _Man, his kouhai really is the best_. “That lacked quite a bit of vigour, Tobio-chan…”

      “I don’t know,” Kageyama said, folding his arms. “I can’t figure it out. Shouldn’t we be leaving anyway? Class starts soon.”

      “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you,” Oikawa said, not wanting this conversation to end just yet. “Oikawa said… **_try it_** _._ ”

      It had been a windy Thursday evening when Kitagawa Daiichi had finished their practice match against Shiratorizawa. They’d managed to snatch one set from Shiratorizawa, but Shiratorizawa had reigned supreme in the end as per usual. It had been the first official match Oikawa had played in since injuring his knee. The first time he’d gone on as the regular, not as the _reserve setter_. Kageyama had run over to Oikawa after everyone else had left, eyes full of genuine excitement as he’d congratulated his senpai. This was what Oikawa had dubbed **The Fourth Expression**. It was the first and only time he’d seen it in the flesh.

      “You played really well today, Oikawa-san! I felt really good watching you do all of those cool serves,” Kageyama had said in that excited voice of his. Oikawa would never forget that intonation, the way his voice would heighten and waver as he tried to speak through his utter excitement. Kageyama hadn’t even been on the court, yet he was bounding about as if they’d won the match. “I’m glad I can look up to you. One day, I want to surpass you. I still intend to become the best, even if I’m not the regular setter anymore.”

      You know how Oikawa responded?

      He still finds it hard to believe that he responded the way he did.

      His expression had become one of anger, one of pure _anger_ that Tobio-chan had the _gall_ to say such things when they weren’t true. _He didn’t play well. He’d lost, for God’s sake! One of his serves went over the line! He even stepped on the backline when serving once. That’s the mistake a rookie makes, not him! Why does Tobio-chan look so happy? The one time that Tobio-chan does something that ISN’T blank staring and it’s for a moment like this? How stupid is that? Idiot!_

      “ **Try it**. I’ll pummel you to the ground with my serves, and I won’t stop.” Oikawa’s eyes had become cold with ambition, cold with ambition that he didn’t even know that he possessed. “I’ll make it to the top. I don’t care if you’re a prodigy. I will win. I’ve won now, and I’ll keep on winning.” He’d pushed past Kageyama as he stormed off the court, although he damn well intended to go back on once he was sure that Kageyama had left.

      He hadn’t anticipated that Kageyama would kneel on the court, quietly crying to himself once he was sure that Oikawa had left. He hadn’t expected Kageyama to express that kind of emotion over him. _You idiot. I’m mad about the match. I took it out on you_.

      But, Oikawa’s pride wouldn’t allow him to say that.

      So, the distance between Kageyama and Oikawa had stretched out. They still saw each other during practice, but they were restricted to brief glances at one another. Iwaizumi could see it from a mile away. They were pining. Oikawa, pining for the younger boy’s company (although he’d always deny it when Iwaizumi asked). Kageyama, pining for those moments when Oikawa would instruct him on his serving. Pining for those moments when he’d see Oikawa, get one step closer to reaching Oikawa. It was strange for Kageyama, it was. Oikawa, he could be standing right in front of Kageyama, but it would still feel as if the brunette was miles away from him.

      This was the first time they’d spoken in weeks.

      Oikawa had just taken his book, grabbed a black pen, and started writing on the back of it.

      Without any warning.

      Without any explanation.

      He’d just taken the book out of Kageyama’s bag, smiled and began to write down his thoughts with that same pensive look on his face. There was no way that Oikawa would let Kageyama actually _read_ what he’d written, no damn way. Stupid Tobio-chan can buy his own damn book if he wants to read it that much.

      “What happened after that?” Kageyama _still_ didn’t seem to realise what was going on.

      “They stopped talking.” Oikawa forced a smile onto his face. “Tobio-chan went back to being a little recluse outside of volleyball, while Oikawa went back to overworking himself in-between eating milk bread and falling asleep at his desk at three in the morning. The end.”

      When Kageyama didn’t say anything to acknowledge the ‘story’ that Oikawa had created, the brunette cleared his throat awkwardly. “Say something, then.”

      “That’s the ending?” Kageyama blinked up at Oikawa innocently, not really understanding the purpose of the story. “You can’t just end it there. That’s disappointing. Isn’t there some sort of sequel or something?”

      Oikawa stilled for a moment, pretending to consider what would happen as if he hadn’t planned this moment out over the past few weeks, timed himself so that he’d be _sure_ to make it to the changing room at the same time as Tobio, made sure to keep an eye on the young boy’s expressions and startling lack of emotions. And of course, the way he’d habitually lick his lips whenever he began to zone out. “Actually, yeah,” Oikawa said, finally closing the distance between him and his kouhai. “There is.”

      Oikawa tilted his lips to Kageyama’s, pressing softly against those lips he’d thought about for quite some time. Those lips which were always so glossy, those lips which would part whenever he was focused on the court. Those lips which would emit a quiet _Oikawa-san_ , or the request which had started all of these thoughts in Oikawa’s head.

      _Can you help me practice my jump serve_?

      Honestly, it wasn’t much. That’s what Oikawa thought when his kouhai stood there, so still that Oikawa wasn’t even sure that he was breathing. _Well, if he drops dead from this, that’s one less rival in my path_. Oikawa couldn’t help but smirk into the kiss as the thought graced his mind. _Why’s Tobio-chan so shocked, anyway? It’s just a kiss._

      Just a single touch of the lips.

      (Oikawa wouldn’t admit that it was his first time.)

      But, Kageyama’s cheeks had gone bright red at the gesture, bright red at the fact that Oikawa seemed to like him like _that_. He was flushing so hard that he felt like he’d faint, fall off the face of the earth at this very moment.

      But, he didn’t. Because, Oikawa was holding his hand

      Laughing

      And saying one thing.

      “Learn to smile, why don’t you? It suits you.”

      And finally, Kageyama’s face lit up in a genuine expression of happiness. **The Fifth Expression**. It warmed Oikawa down to the very core, made his lips perk up from side to side. It made him want to kiss his kouhai again. His adorable, impossibly _fluffy_ kouhai. His hair was silky, silky and warm. It parted in Oikawa’s hands, fell slightly onto Kageyama’s forehead like a curtain. _Was it shielding him from something, maybe?_

      _Shielding him from his insecurities?_

_The dangers of the world, maybe?_

_Or maybe it’s from love. Who knows?_

_If that's the case, it failed._

      “So, now I know five of your expressions,” Oikawa mused out loud. “Couldn’t care less. Confused. Excited. Earnest. And now, I have a new one to add to my collection. _Happy_.” Oikawa’s mouth lingered on the last word for a few beats too long, long enough that Kageyama was regarding him with the first expression.

      “I know one of yours too,” Kageyama whispered at last, reaching up to pull Oikawa’s face down. “Honest. It’s the first time you’ve been honest.”

      And before Oikawa could dispute the words coming out of Kageyama’s lips, the younger boy was touching his lips to Oikawa’s once again. They didn’t really need to say anything, not really. It wasn’t some sort of _grand event_. It was just… just a kiss. After this, their little dream world would crumble away and Kageyama would go back to begging Oikawa for jump-serves, while the latter played it cool and refused to even _touch_ a volleyball in Kageyama’s vicinity. Oikawa’s pride wouldn’t allow him to do such a thing. This ‘worthless pride’ of his.

      But, just for now, _at least just for now_ ,

      They could hide in the shadows of the changing room

      Touch their lips to one another

      And wait for the day, the day where Oikawa would be cruelly snatched away from him by the looming demon known as _Aoba Johsai_ , the day where Kageyama and Oikawa could no longer be allies. They’d be on opposite sides of the court, fighting to win.

      But, it was that court which would bind the two of them together.

      After all, Kageyama’s finally closed the gap between them.

      “Oikawa-san,” Kageyama said once he’d pulled away at last, having felt as if he would faint if he remained in the embrace of Oikawa’s lips any longer, “can you help me practice my jump serve?”

 

 

\---fin---

 

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: Oikage's one of my favourite ships. When I watched Haikyuu for the first time, I REALLY shipped Oikage. It was THE ultimate ship for me. I didn't really start shipping iwaoi or kagehina until I watched Haikyuu a few more times, looked at some fanart and read some fics. (Now that I own physical copies of the manga, I just find myself fangirling whenever I see Hinata and Kageyama's interactions. They're gold, honestly.)  
> The first fic I ever wrote was a oikage one, but that was before my writing style really had a chance to evolve, so it's not really something I'm proud of. However, now that it's quite a few months down the line since my first fic, I decided to write this. I'm somewhat proud of it (emphasis on SOMEWHAT). It was only really meant to be a drabble, but it ended up being 5000 words. Brevity is not my forte, as you can tell.
> 
> It's also three a.m., wow. I was meant to post this around one a.m. before going to sleep but I kept making changes and getting distracted, so... yeah. RIP me. (I have school tomorrow... well, technically today but OH WELL.) This was originally saved as 'What Plot' in my documents so I kind of went with the whole expression prompt and rewrote this slightly to fit the vision I was going for. I don't know if it worked, but sleep-deprived me approves so LET'S GO.


End file.
